23rd September 2022
HEADLINES
By Dan Smith
Associate Assistant Headteacher WHERE WILL YOUR BOOK TAKE YOU? THE ESSEX YEAR OF READING I am currently in a constant battle with my 5-year-old son to get him reading every day, so I can empathise with all parents and carers trying to wrestle a reluctant reader to pick up a book. My son will listen to me read all night long about marine life or history, but getting him to engage in reading himself has been a real struggle. He is summer born and behind his peers, so I think that much of his reluctance comes from a lack of confidence that he feels in his own reading ability. Reading is such an essential skill in school because it provides the gateway to our curriculum, but the importance of reading far outreaches the classroom. We all know that being able to read confidently is key to being a successful learner in all other areas of life. The statistics around the impact of low literacy skills are shocking. For example, those with low literacy skills are more than twice as likely to be unemployed than those who can read beyond the most basic of levels. Sadly, as many as 1 in 6 adults in England have ‘very poor literacy skills’, and so schools can never do enough to promote reading to ensure this statistic doesn’t continue into the next generation. This year, schools across Essex are taking part in the Essex Year of Reading, and as a school we are looking into ways we can further promote reading. This week I led assemblies on the importance of reading. I started by asking “if you could have any super power, what would it be?” No one provided Bill Gates’ response to this – “being able to read super fast!” But reading really is like a super power. The National Literacy Trust found that children who are the most engaged with literacy are three times more likely to have higher levels of mental wellbeing than children who are the least engaged. Reading on your own or as part of a group has become a valuable resource for many people with symptoms of depression. Reading is also a highly effective workout for our brains, increasing blood flow across the entire brain and there is even evidence that it can help us
live longer. It’s fascinating to think that reading – even as a solitary activity – could strengthen social bonds. People who have more lifelong exposure to fiction are better able to infer what other people are thinking. Very superpower-esque! I asked learners to reflect on their own reading habits. When asking learners for a hands up to show who has read anything from my four favourite literary worlds (Dune, the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and His Dark Materials), I was pleasantly surprised by how well read our youngsters are. However, as we moved into the older cohorts, it became clear that they are generally reading much less than their younger peers, a real shame! So how are we promoting reading at Honywood further this year? Firstly, we are looking to rebuild and restock our tired library. If anyone has any books they would like to donate, it would be greatly appreciated. In addition, Cohorts 7, 8 and 9 will be undergoing reading assessments this term so that we can identify those learners who may need further support. We are going to be promoting reading across the curriculum, and we are bringing in a new initiative – asking everyone to ‘drop everything and read’ once a week (DEAR). Please ensure your young person has a book for ‘DEAR’ time which begins next week. Finally, can I ask that we all continue to do our best to get our reluctant readers to pick up a book at home. Best wishes for the weekend.
Mr D Smith